The BNP Paribas Open, held at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, is famous for many things. It is often dubbed Tennis Paradise for its exceptional scenery and state-of-the-art architecture. Fans fondly call it the fifth Major, as it is the largest combined men’s and women’s event after the four Grand Slam tournaments.
However, there is one more thing at this ATP Masters/WTA 1000 tournament that is even more fascinating: The champion’s trophy. Here are the major details about this famous Baccarat trophy that champions struggle to lift.
BNP Paribas Open Trophy: The Baccarat Shooting Star
The BNP Paribas Open is a two-week event held in March every year on the outdoor hard courts of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. It is a combined ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 event, featuring 96 players in the main draw, with best-of-three sets in both the men’s and women’s singles.
Apart from the singles competition, the tournament also features men’s and women’s doubles, as well as the recently introduced mixed doubles. Additionally, top men’s and women’s players kick off the fortnight by contesting the Eisenhower Cup exhibition event.
After the finals conclude, the unique trophy is the main highlight, catching the entire tennis community’s attention. Known as the Baccarat Shooting Star Trophy, it is a solid, clear crystal block created by the French luxury house Baccarat. The design fuses two stars into a tall, vertical sculpture that represents a shooting star. It also reflects BNP Paribas’ star logo and replaced the old whale trophy from the Pacific Life sponsorship era.
MORE: Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina’s Indian Wells 2026 Prize Money After Final
Since it is made from highly dense Baccarat crystal, the trophy weighs nearly 38 pounds (17 kilograms). That weight, combined with its narrow, tall structure, creates some of the most viral moments on the podium during the trophy presentation ceremony.
Many former champions have struggled to lift the trophy during the photo shoot, notably Simona Halep, who failed to lift it on her first try after beating Jelena Janković in the 2015 final. More recently, Iga Świątek was seen laughing as she was unable to lift it off the table after her first win in 2022, when she beat Maria Sakkari.
Big names such as Maria Sharapova and Bianca Andreescu have been among the champions who struggled with the heavy trophy after grueling battles on court.
In 2025, Jack Draper struggled with the same issue after beating Holger Rune in the championship match. This year, Flavio Cobolli was unable to lift it off a table during his press conference after winning the mixed doubles title alongside Belinda Bencic.
This year, Aryna Sabalenka lifted the trophy for the first time in her career after beating Elena Rybakina in the championship match, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(6).
On the men’s side, Jannik Sinner claimed his first Indian Wells title with a 7-6(6), 7-6(4) victory over Daniil Medvedev in Sunday’s final, becoming just the third man to complete the set of all six ATP Masters 1000 hard-court titles.
